Tobacco-stemming machine.



No. 640,251. Patented 1an. 2, |900. A. R. ALLlsoN & c. E. BuEK.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE` (Application led Aug. 30, 189B.)

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet I.

A TTOHNE YS No. @4&251. Patented lan. 2, i900. A. R. ALLISUN & C. E.BUEK.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

(Application led Aug. 30, 1898.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 2` (No Model.)

w/T/VESSES A TTOHNEYS' z Nnnms PETERS cs, PHoTo-LnNom/Asmuerohv:1c

No. 64U,25L Patented 1an. 2, |900. A. R. ALLISCN & C. E. BUEK.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

(Applicatcn led Aug. 30, 1898,)

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W/ T/VE SSE S /N VEN T0198 t l meningen f maw/f @6 @mm/w- A By TTUHNE V5Tn: Norms Pnzns co, wom-umn, wAsHmsToN. n. c.

No. 646,251. Patented 1an. 2, |900. A. R. ALLISUN & C. E. BUEK.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

(Application med Aug. so, 1898.) (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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W/TNESSES f /A/ VEN 70H6 t Z Z160 www/f me Norms PETERS cn. vrioammcwAsmNa-ron, o. c.

No. 40,25l. Patented 1an. 2, |900. A. R. ALLISUN & C. E. BUEK.

TOBACCU STEMMING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 30, 189B.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

A W/TNESSES www No. 64U,25|. Patented Jan. 2, |90() A. R. ALLISUN C. E.BUEK. TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

(Application tiled Aug. 30, 189B.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

(No Modei.)

A Tron/v5 f5 nitric,

AIJPIIONSO ROSS ALLISON AND CHARLES E; BUEK, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA,

ASSIGNORS TO TI-IE UNIVERSAL SAME PLACE.

STRIPPING MACHINE COMPANY, OF

ToeACoo-sTst/WHNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,251, dated January:2, 1900.

Application filed August 30, 1898.

To fl/ 'urb/)nt l/tf/l/ ,Ho/tecra.'

Be it known that we, ALrHoNso Ross AL- LlsoN and CHARLns E. BUEK, ofRichmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Stemming Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention "while relating generally to improvements in tobacco leafstemming io means more particularly refers to improve ments on that typeof machine disclosed in Patent- No. 622,587, granted to A. R. AllisonAprile, 1899; and it involves certain new features and combinations ofparts with the structure disclosed in the aforesaid patent whereby torender the operation of the complete machine the more expeditious andeffective.

In its more essential feature this invention comprehends what we termsupplemental zo stein-drawing mechanism designed to draw the tip end ofthe stem through the wipers at a greater speed than can be effected bythe main drawingdevices, such as disclosed in the aforesaid patent, suchoperation serving the triple function of effecting a very rapidstripping action on the tip end lof the leaf, holding the several stemsas they are drawn up in quick succession by the main carrier ordrawing-disk properly separated as they are being 3o stripped, andparticularly for relieving the stem at the butt-end of the pull strainexerted by the rotary carrier or disk.

This invention also eomprehends, in connection with the rotary carrierand the wiping mechanism, a novel construction of stem-discharging meansinvolving certain details and arrangement of parts operatively connectedwith the carrier, as hereinafter more fully explained.

This invention also consists in certain det-ails of construction andcombination of parts, which will be first described in detail and thenpointed outin the appended claims, reference being had totheaccompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of theco1nplete machine as seen from the front or feeder end, part of theautomatic feeding devices being omitted. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewofthe machine viewed from the rear in a direction diametrically oppositefrom the direc- Serial No. 689,856. (No model.)

tion of View of Fig. 1, the leaf-feeding devices being omitted. Fig. 3is a transverse section of a portion of the machine, taken practicallythrough the wiping mechanism, the leaf-car- 5 5 rier,and the blastdevices hereinafter referred to, the stem-ejector devices being alsopartially shown. Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section of thestripping mechanism, illustrating the action of the wiping-belts on thebutt- 6o end of the leaf and stem. Fig. 5 is a similar View illustratingthe manner in which the separated leaf particles are ejected from themachine. Fig. 6 illustrates how the broken leaf and stem portions aregathered and held from passing out with the perfectly-separated leafparticles. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of thecard-teeth. Fig. 8 is a detail view illustrating the correlation of thesupplemental drawing devices, the 7o wiper or stripping belts, therotary leaf-cai`- rier, and the manner of their operation. Fig. 9 is ahorizontal section taken practically on the line 10 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10isacross-section on the line 11 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a detail 75 viewof the grip-jawv-cleaner devices hereinafterreferred to. Figs. 12 and12a are detail perspective views illustrating some of the lnechanism forimparting an intermittent rotary motion to the feedenoperating shaft,they also 8o showing the stemejector devices. Fig. 13 is a longitudinalsection of the automatic feeder mechanism forming a part of our completemachine. Fig. 14 is a transverse section there of on the line 14 14 ofFig. 13. Fig. 15 is a 85 detail cross-section on the line 15 15 of Fig.13. Fig. 16 is adetail plan view of the deiiv# ery end of such feedmechanism. Fig. 17 is a detail View of parts of such end. Fig. 18 is adetail View illustrating the manner in which 9o the leaf-carrier gripstrip the stem butt-rest member of the feeder devices. y

This invention in its general construction embodies the wiping mechanismand the rotary carrier devices disclosed in the Allison patent beforereferred to, and the said parts operate in substantially the samemanner.

In the accompanying drawings, a indicates a suitable supporting-framehaving at the front end vertical standards 5 5, the upper roo ends ofwhich merge with horizontal forwardly-extending bearing-arms b I), uponI which are supported the shaft 18, hereinafter again referred to, andthe rotary carrier-shaft c. The rotary carrier comprises a disk d,iixedly held upon the shaft c, which shaft is held from rotation by theclamp-nuts c' c', (see Figs. 1 and 3,) and the said disk d supports thecam-annulus 15.

@indicates the rotating member of the carrier, to which the leaf-gripsl1 are mounted, In the present construction the stem-engaging portion ofthe grips is not hinged to the body of the member e, as in the Allisonpatent referred to, but forms an integral part of the swinging member12.

The cam-annulus 15 in our machine has a segmental rim portion 15a, whichextends from apoint in advance of the stem-delivery end, and atthedelivery end is formed with a detent-guide 15b in the path of the roller'14 on the pivotal grip member, which deflects the same and positivelyholds it under the rim 15EL and at an open position until the gripreaches the point where the leaf-butt is fed to the carrier, at whichpoint 'the grip is again moved to its closed or gripping position byreason of the roller 14 engaging a rise 15c onithe cam-annulus.

In the-practical use of our machine it has been found that sometimes aportion of the `butt-end of the stem remains on the gripspurs 11a, whichin the present machine are made fast to the disk instead of to thepivotal grip-jaw, and to positively clean such spurs of anystemparticles which may adhere thereto we have provided a pair of cleanersin the nature of spring-plates 2O and 2l, secured in a pendent hanger2l, which are so arranged as to scrape over the face of the disk inclose proximity to the spurs 11a and above and belowthesame, and therebypositively dislodge any of the stem adhering to such spurs.

As-in the Allison patent before referred to, the grip-jaws are in thenature of elongated members extended laterally at right angles to thelength of the pivoted portion. In this machine such form of jawsperforms the double office of providing an ample clampingsurface as itpasses the point of the leaf-stem butt-rest plate of the feeder devices,which hereinafter will be specifically referred to.

In the Allison machine hereinbefore referred to the rotary carrierdelivers the buttend of the leaf and stein between the coactingwiping-surfaces and during the remainder of the wiping action draws thestem first slowly in the direction of the length of the stripper rollsand then progressively the more rapidly through the wiping-surfaces atthe same timeitis being dra-wn sidewise, such operation being effectedby the pull on the stem in two directions. In the practical operation ofthe aforesaid construction of leafcarrier and stem-drawing means theleaves and stems as they are drawn successively and rapidly intoengagement with the wipersurfaces are kept sufficiently separated at theentrant end of the said surfaces, while at the discharge end of thewiping-surfaces the stems and leaves frequently have such close relationthat they become entangled and broken. Furthermore, to effect apractical operation the grips on the carrier of necessity must beconsiderably spaced apart, which is objectionable in that the capacityof the machine is reduced below that which each revolution of thecarrier should produce. Another and important objection in the use ofthe aforesaid form of grip and carrier is that as the grips rise ontheir lift movement to the horizontal plane the extreme end of the stemis subjected to a bend and so weakened that when the staple is quite dryitwill break at this point. To overcome the several objections noted andgreatly increase the capacity of themachine and reduce the danger of thestem breaking off at the gri p-point practically to the minimum, we haveprovided a supplemental drawing mechanism, which, when thepartially-drawn stem reaches a point where the vertical spaces betweenthe successivelyrising grippers are reduced to such a degree that theleaves and stems tend to come together, engages the stripped part of thestem, carrying it longitudinally inward at a speed greater than that atwhich it was moved in the same direction by the main carrier, and alsodraws it up through the wipers at a speed greater than that which themain or rotary carrier is capable of giving, said supplemental drawingmechanism serving to absolutely relieve the butt-end of the stem of anypull strain at its point of connection with the grips as soon as suchmechanism engages the said stems.

The supplemental drawing devices comprise a pair of rolls 1 l, havingfrictional contact and yielding surfaces, preferably rubber. These rollsare horizontally disposed and are mounted on shafts 2 2, projected fromhead-blocks 3 3, mounted on a cross-shaft 4, iixedly held on themain-frame .standards 5 at the inner or discharge end of the wiper orstripper belts, they having transverse and lateral adjustment thereonand held to their adjusted positions by the set-screws 6. The meeting orcoacting faces of the rolls 1 la are vdisposed in a plane directly overthe line of the coacting surfaces of the wiper or stripper belts, andthe said rolls 1 1n are held at an inclineupward, the degree ofinclination govrerning the speed at which the stems are moved away fromthe main carrier, it being obvious that the higher the rolls 1 1a areset. the greater will be the aforesaid speed. The

front ends of the rolls 1 lel are arranged to project or lap over theperimeter of the main carrier and to provide for a close engagementtherewith, and yet admit of the free and uninterrupted passage of thegrips. The front ends of the rolls 1 l are made conical, as indicated by7 7 and best shown in Fig. 9. The roll 1 receives motion by frictionfrom `the roll l, and the roll 1a has a worm-gear portion 8, with a worm-wheel 9, mounted on IOO ' stantially direct line.

a shaft l0, suitably journaled in the main frame and having a chain-gearl0, which receives motion from the chain 16, which also engages an idler17 and agear 17 on a drive-` shaft 1S, which shaft is driven by gearingmechanism, particularly referred to in the subjoined detaileddescription of the feeddevice-operating gearing. It should be statedthat the rolls l la are so geared that their speed of rotation willexceed that of the main carrier.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 8, it will be seen that as theleaf is carried longitudinally of the wiper-belts and the stem drawnupward the stripped butt-end of the stem will be carried into theentrant end of the supplemental d rawrolls, which by reason ofthevinclination to the stripper-belts will tend to cause the stem toassume a position at right angles to the line of rotation of such rolls,and in consequence pull the stem, together with the leaf portionadhering thereto, in the direction indicated by the arrow, therebyeffecting a sidewise feed of the stem through the wipers and drawing thestem up through the same in a manner precisely like that effected by themain-carrier disk, and as the said rolls l l rotate at a speed in excessto the lift sweep of the main carrier it follows that as soon as suchrolls l l engage the stem the butt-end of the stem is relieved of anypull stra-in and all danger of its breaking at such'point avoided, thedanger of the stem breaking at a point midway the butt and wiping pointsbeing also reduced to a minimum by reason of the draw strain beingconstant near the stripping-point and in a sub- It will also be readilyapparent that as the stems are engaged by the supplemental draw-rollsthey will maint-ain a uniform' degree of separation, and in consequencebe held from bunching, and danger of the stems being crushed or brokenbeing avoided.

While the detailed arrangement of the supplemental drawing devicesespecially adapts the same for the type of stemmingmachine shown, yet itis manifest that the arrangement of such supplemental draw-rolls may berea-dily modified under the scope of the appended claims to render thesame susceptible of use in connection with other leaf feeding andstripping or wiping mechanisms.

The stem-discharge devices in the present case comprise a pair ofendless bands 20c 2l, one of which, 20, passes over a large drivepulley22, disposed horizontally at the top of the carrier at one side of itsstem-delivery point and mounted on a vert-ical shaft 23, snitablyjournaled on the main frame and geared with a worm 2t on a supplementaldrive-shaft 25, which worm 2t is also held in mesh with a worm-gear 26on the rotary carrier-shaft. The belt 2OC passes over guide-pulleys 2723, held forward of the stein-delivery point, and a guide-pulley 29,disposed laterally of the rotary carrier and at the stem'discharge point.

30 indicates a second large pulley journaled on a shaft 3l, disposedadjacent the pulley 22, opposite the line of stem-discharge. The band2lC passes over this pulley 30, over a guidepulley 32, adjacent thepulley 29, and also over the pulley 28, it passing between the face ofthe pulley 2S and the belt 26. As will be seen from Fig. l2, the severalpulleys and the endless belts are so arranged that the belt 21 will bemoved by frictional contact With the belt 20, and such belts haveportions thereof in the nature of coacting clamp members which form away extending forward in the direction of the sweep of the stem as it isbrought up by the rotary carrier and then laterally to where the twobelts separate, where it (the stem) is discharged, suitable deflector orguide plates 33 being provided to prevent the stem being thrown into anyof the operating parts of the machine.

To properly guide the stem to its delivery mechanism, a slotted shield34 may be provided, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the Allison patent before ret'erredto the stripping mechanismcomprises two endless belts having coacting faces so arranged as toengage the leafstem and effect a wiping action thereon.

To render the complete operation of our invention clear, we haveillustrated in detail the construction of the belt mechanism,which isbest shown in Figs. ll, 5, and 6 of the drawings, by reference to whichit will be seen that the inner rolls 35 and the outer rolls 36 havefixed bearings-that is, they have a fixed relation to each otherwand oneach pair of rolls 35 and 36 is mounted an endless belt 38, formed of asingle member having the cardteeth uniformly arranged in longitudinalrows, the rows on one belt being arranged to alternate with the rows ofthe other belt, (see Fig. 7,) and such belts in practice are so arrangedrelatively that under ordinary conditions the ends of the rows of teethdo not extend between each other, but are so arranged as to produceastaggered passage-way, asindicated by the arrow in Fig. 7, so that thestem receives practically a series of successive wipes from oppositedirections and is crowded between the teeth in the direction indicated,such operation serving to effect a more complete wiping action on thestem without danger of penetrating or tearing the separated-leafparticles.

By referring now to Figs. 3 and 4 it will be noticed that the belts aremounted loosely on their respective supporting-rolls, for the reasonthat the upper wiping face or edge X will be brought forward away fromits roll-bearin g and toward the stem by centrifugal force, and suchportion X of the belt will have a yielding bearing by the cushion formedby the rush of air under it, created by the swift movement of the beltand its leaving its seat.

The feed of the belts upon the rolls in the manner shown in Figs. 3, 4t,and 5 forms, per se, no part of our invention, as the same ICO IIO

is fully disclosed and claimed in the patent granted to A. R. Allison,No. 622,588, dated April 4, 1899. In our form of machine, however, theteeth of the belts are arranged in alternate lines, whereby should forany reason the teeth of one belt be crowded over into the other belt thesaid teeth would not cross, as is the case in spirally-woundcardclothing wipers. Again, by arranging the teeth of the belt in themanner shown the stem will /be caused to take a staggered course throughthe wiping-surfaces of the belts, as hereinbefore explained.

We have also illustrated in the present drawings means for gatheringbroken-leaf particles and separating them from the goodleafparticles,and as this mechanism forms the subject-matter of the patent granted toR. W. Coffee, dated April 4, 1899, No. 622,995, the same will bereferred to herein only generally. The said mechanism comprises a pairof endless belts 40, held in vertical contact and having their coactingor grip faces 41 arranged in line with the longitudinal movement of theleaf-that is, parallel with the wiping-line of the stripper-rolls. Tofacilitate the entrance of the leaf, the front ends of the belts areseparated, said belts, however, closing together at a point in line withthe entrant end of the wiper-belts, whereby to hold the leaf'sufcientlytight to carry it along lengthwise of the machine should it becomereleased from the grips of the carrier. The belts 40 passvlongitudinally rearward and over the pulleys 42, each having a verticaldrive-shaft 42b 42, and one of such shafts, 42, hasva bevel-gear 43,with which meshes a drive-pinion 44 on a stub-shaft 45, having adrive-pulley 46, driven by a cable 47, which also passes over a pulley48 on the driveshaft 18, which drives the supplemental leafdrawingmechanism. The shaft 42 has a chain-wheel 42, with which a drive-chain48 engages and which also engages an idler 49 and a drive-sprocket 50onthe shaft 42a.

As the tobacco-leaf portions have a tendency'to adhere to theseparator-belts, strikers 51 are provided, as clearly shown in Fig. 2,which at intermittent intervals tap the belts and knock off any adheringparticles.

In our complete machine blast devices are also employed for separatingthe perfect-leaf separations from the broken-leaf and stem particles andfor deiiecting them to one side of the machine, and such blast devices,which are best illustrated in Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6, comprise ablowerf,having a blast-conveyer pipe f', that terminates in a discharge-mouth52, projected under the wiping mechanism and is so arranged as to blowthe good-leaf separations into an outlet-chute 53. (See Fig. 4.)

As the detailed arrangement of some of the operating mechanism for theautomatic leaffeeding devices forms apart of our complete machine, ageneral description thereof is deemed necessary, although broadly theconstruction and arrangement of the automatic feed devices hereindescribed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, form thesubject-matter of Patent No. 624,450, granted to C. E. Buek May 9, 1899.

The automatic feed mechanism comprehends generally a table or bed 60,extended longitudinally forward of the rotary carrier and having aninclined feedway 61 in line with the gripper edge of such carrier,theouter or delivery end of which has a suitable stop or rest member 62, onwhich the butt-'end of the leaf-stem is temporarily lodged in a properposition to project into the path or sweep of the grips,the leaf beingheld lockedin such temporary position by one or moreintermittentlyoperated sweep-arms 63, which at predeterminedintervals,governed by actuating mechanism driven from the rotarycarrier-shaft, are swung back or` released to permit the carrier-grip(which grasps the butt-end of the stem during such backward movement ofthe sweep-arms) to pull the leaf out of the feedway, previous to which,however, the grips engage and move the rest .62 to an open position toallow the leaf to fall through the table or bed openings. The sweep-arms63 are projected radially from a shaft 64, journaled longitudinallyunder the table 60, and are adapted to sweep transversely through slotsin the said bed or table 60. The shaft 64 receives motion through thechain belt 65, which engages the operating-shaft 66, journaled at oneend on the table-frame and at the other in suitable bearings on the mainframe of the machine and adjacent the rear face of the rotary carrier,at which end it has a chain-wheel 67, geared through the chain 68 with ashort counter-shaft 69, on which is mounted a tappet-wheel 70, having aplurality of radial tappets 71, which are adapted to be engagedintermittently by a series of cam projections 72 on a cam-wheel 72b,having inclined edges 72,mounted on the drive-shaft 18.

In the practical construction of the feederactuating mechanism thetappet-wheel and the gear connections between the shaft 69 and thetransmitting-shaft 66 and the leafsweep-arm shaft is such that thesweep-arm shaft will receive rotation sufficient to actuate one of thesweep-arms to feed a leaf in position for each grip of the carrier as itapproaches the delivcry end of the feedway. Thus when one of the cams onthe cam-wheel 72h engages the tappet-wheel it rotates the shafts 69 66and the shaft 64 suiiicient to move one of the sweep-arms to slide theleaf down into the feedway, with its butt-end engaging the rest member62 and projecting in the path of the carrier-grips. At this point itshould be stated that when the leaf is thus fed it is held from passingdown by reason of the rest 62; but at this time the cam 72 still engageswith the tappet, and in consequence the sweep-arm shaft is stillrotating, such further rotation being, however, of a limited extent andfor the following purpose: The

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sweep-arms have at their y outer ends very flexible spring-fingers 7G,which bend back and lock against the leaf during the finish of therotary action of the shaft 64E and during the release of the rest 62,which is effected immediately before the sweep-arms release theirpressure on the leaf, such operation be ing effected by the forwardlateral extension of the grip engaging a projection 77 on the front endofthe rest-plate 62 (which, it should be stated, is hinged to thefeed-table delivery end and held to its normal position by a suitablespring) and throwing it to its open position, to which it is held by thegrip during the passing of the same beyond the deliveryopening of thefeed-table.

On the sweep-arm shaft G-i is xedly held a disk 7S, having a series ofradial notches 78, equal in number to the number of sweep-arms carriedby the shaft 64, and suitably supported is a spring 79, held undertension to bear on the peripheral edge of the said disk 78, and which,when anyone of the notches comes in proper position, drops therein andimparts a partial reverse motion to the shaft 64 sufticient to throwback the sweep arm or arms pressing down on the leaf, which operationoccurs almost simultaneous with the closing of the grip on the butt-endof the leaf, it being understood that the relative arrangement of thesaid notched dish and the cam and tappet actuating devices is such thatthe cam disengages the tappet just as the notch of the disk '7S comesinto line with the throw-back spring.

The leaves are laid on the table by hand with their butt-end against afront guideplate 79?, after which the entire operation of treating theleaf is automatic.

The leaves as they are separated from their bunches are laid one by oneon the feed-table by hand, their butt-ends facing the carrier. The sweeparm or arms then move the leaf in the feedway, where the leaf ismomentarily held while one of the grips on the rotary carrier closes onit. IThe leaf is then hanging pendent, drawn into the entrant end of thewipers, with its tip portions engaging the separator-belts. The carrieras soon as it has entered the leaf between the wipers becomes astem-drawer, as it pulls the stem up from the wipers. After the stem hasbeen partially stripped it is engaged by the supplemental drawingdevices, which finish the stem-drawing operation. The stemmed leaf isthen blown out to one side of the machine, while the stem is carried upand delivered at the other side of the machine. Should for any reasonthe stem break, the part of the leaf and stem below the wipers isseparated from the stemmed-leaf particles and carried back and depositedat the rear end of the machine. Thus the good-leaf separations, thebrokenstem and adhering leaf particles, and the stripped stems are eachdeposited at such different points of the machine that their mixing isrendered absolutely impossible.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination with the wiper mechanism and the rotary stem-conveyerand drawing-disk, of supplemental rolls adapted to engage the stem andsimultaneously move the said stem laterally and at the same time draw itthrough the wi pers.

2. In a tobacco-stemming machine of the character described, incombination with the wiping mechanism and the rotary carrier arranged tofeed the leaves lengthwise between the stripping-faces of t-he wipers;of supplemental rolls adapted to engage the stem and move it laterallyand at the same time draw it between the wiping-faces of the strippersat a speed greater than the draw action of the rotary disk,substantially as shown and described.

3. ln a tobacco-stemming machine of the character described, thecombination with the wiping mechanism and initial means for drawing thestem therethrough and simultaneously moving it in the direction of thelength of the stripping-surfaces of the said wiping mechanism; ofsupplemental rolls adapted to engage the stem after it has beenpartially stripped and draw it through the strippingsurfaces at a speedgreater than the draw action of the initial stem-drawing means,substantially as shown and described.

i. In a tobacco-stemming machine of the character described; incombination with the wiping mechanism and the rotary leaf-carrier; ofmeans for engaging the stems and holding them separated as they aredrawn up through the wipers by the said carrier.

5. In a machine of the character described; in combination with thewipers, a rotary leafcarrier, said leaf-carrier having clamps to engagethe butt-end of the leaf and adapted to carry the stripped stem anddischarge it at the upper portion of the machine; the supplemental rollsadapted to engage the stem as it is partially drawn up between thewipers and continue the drawing action of the same to relieve the stemof further pull strain by the carrier-clamp as and for the purposesdescribed.

6. The combination of the wiper mechanism and the rotary leaf-carrier,substantially as shown; of a pair of supplemental rolls having coactingfaces, said rolls being arranged at an angle to the wiping-line of thestrippers and adapted to engage the stem as it is partially drawn upfrom the stripper and complete the drawing action as specified.

'7. The combination of the stripper,the wiping means, and the rotarycarrier; of supplemental rolls arranged to receive the stem as itispartially drawn through the wipers by the rotary carrier, saidsupplemental rolls being disposed at an angle to the wiping-line of thestrippers and means for adjusting the angle of such rolls, substantiallyas shown and described.

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8. In a tobacco-stem ming machine; in combination with the wipingmechanism and means for drawing the stem through and laterall)7 along aportion of the length of the wiper-surfaces; of the supplemental .leafdrawing and feeding means, operating with the stripping-surfaces andadapted to receive the partially-stripped stem from the initial drawingmeans and draw it through the wiping-surfaces at an accelerated speedfor the purposes specified.

9. In a tobacco-stemming machine, in combination; the stripper mechanismand means for feeding the leaf therebetween and drawing the butt-end ofthe stem therethrough; of supplemental drawing devices, said devicescomprising a pair of positively-rotating rolls arranged at an acuteangle to the stripping mechanism and adapted to engage the strippedportion of the stem and simultaneously draw the remaining part of thestem through the stripping mechanism and laterally of the line ofwiping-surfaces of the said stripping mechanism, substantially as shownand for the purposes described.

l0. Atobacco-strippng machine; comprising wiping mechanism, the rotarycarrier projecting at right angles from the coacting surfaces of thewiping mechanism; the leaf-feed for delivering the leaves intermittentlyto the carrier, and stem-discharging means adapted to receive thestripped stem from the carrier; the supplemental stem-drawin g rollsadapted to draw the outer portion of the stem laterally and at the sametime through the stripping mechanism, and an operating gear mechanismdriven from the rotary carrier, connecting with the leaf-feed, thestem-discharging devices, and the supplemental drawing-rolls foroperating the said several mechanisms.

11. In a tobacco-stemming machine of lthe character described; thecombination with 'the stripping mechanism and the rotary carrier, saidcarrier having stem-grips automatically operating to open atpredetermined intervals; of stem-discharge means disposed over therotary carrier, said means comprising a pair of coacting endless belts,and guides for moving the stripped stems into the entrant ends of thesaid endless belts,said belts having their exits arranged to dischargethe stems at right angles to the direction of rotation of the carrier,and means yconnected with the carrier-shaft for operating thestem-discharging means as specified.

ALPHONSO ROSS ALLISON. CHARLES E. BUEK. lVitnesses:

R. A. COFFEE, S. S. P. PA'rTnsoN.

